Casket-holding-means adjuster for hearses.



No. 793,458. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

J. Z. MILLER.

GASKET HOLDING MEANS ADJUSTER FOR HEARSES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 31, 1,904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 793,458. PATENTED JUNE 2'7, 1905. J. Z. MILLER.

GASKET HOLDING MEANS ADJUSTER FOR HEARSES.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 31, 1904 B274 2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

3/ a; f "/5. n /6 @466 -%a/W NITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

JOHN Z. MILLER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CASKET-HOLDlNG-IVIEANS ADJUSTER FOR HEARSES.

SPECIFICATION tcrming part of Letters Patent No. 793,458, dated June 27,1905.

Application filed December 31, 1904. Serial No. 239,242.

To ml] whom it Hefty concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN Z. MILLER, of Indianapolis, county ofMarion,and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and usefulCasket-Holding-h/Ieans Adjuster for Hearses; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numeralsrefer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a construction for holdingand moving bier-pins automatically by the casket while it is being putin place and means for readily adjusting the same for holding caskets ofvarying sizes.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanyingdrawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevationof a casket and the meansfor holding the same. holding the casket, the parts being shown by fulllines in their relaxed position and by dotted lines holding a casketshown by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 2, showing the partsholding a larger casket, the casket being shown in dotted lines andparts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the means for holdingthe casket, the top thereof, the floor of the hearse or funeral-carbeing removed and the internal parts being shown in their relaxedposition. Fig. 5 shows the same as Fig.4 with the parts in position forholding a casket. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the removable bier-pin. Fig.8 is a transverse vertical section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 isa vertical section of the guide for holding the outer ends of thebier-pin arms.

In detail the drawings herein show a remov able floor 10 for the hearseor car, being secured by the screws 11 on sills 12 from a permanentbottom 13 for the hearse or car. Four bier-pins 15 project up throughslots in the floor 10 and curved guide-plates 16 and are secured thereonby screws 17. These pins 15 engage and press against the sides of thecasket. The inner end of the casket is held by a bier-pin 18, thatprojects through a lon- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the means for.

gitudinally-extending slot 19 in the floor of the hearse or car and inthe guide-strip 20, secured thereon by the screws 21. The other end ofthe casket is held by a removable bierpin 22, that is placed in one ofthe holes 23 in the plate 24, secured to the floor of the hearse or carby screws 25. The bier-pins referred to, 15, 18, and 22, have rubberrings 26 in their heads that contact with the casket, so as to preventinjury thereof.

All the bier-pins referred to excepting the pin 22 are movedautomatically into holding position against the sides or ends of thecasket by merely pushing the casket into place on the floor of thehearse or car against the bierpin 18. The casket is pushed against saidbier-pin 18 until the side bier-pins 15 come in tightly against thesides of the casket. Then the bier-pin 22 is placed by hand in the hole23 and against the outer end of the casket. This holds the casketpositively and safely in position, and the object is accomplishedwithout operating the machinery by hand. Furthermore, by reason of theconstruction hereinafter described said mechanism is adjustable readilyto hold caskets of varying sizes and to hold them centrally on thesupport. The mechanism for moving said bier-pins thus into position willnow be explained.

As seen in Fig. 4 et seq, the bier-pins 15 screw into the ends of thearms 30, that are pivotally mounted at their inner ends on the bolts 31,secured in and extending above the bottom 13. A spring 32 is coiledabout each of said bolts 31, with an arm extending transversely in eachdirection and attached to the outer ends of the arms by passing througha hole, as seen in Fig. 4. Said springs are so arranged as to tend tomove all of said arms 30 toward the nearer end of the bottom 13. Hencethe arms at one end are forced in an opposite direction to that of thearms on the other end by said springs. Said arms 30, carrying thebier-pins, are held by chains 34, that are at one end secured to theouter end of said arms and then pass inward around the pulleys 35 on theposts 36, extending up from brackets 37, that are secured to the bottom13. The inner ends of said chains 34 are fastened to a centrally-locatedlongitudinallyslidable bar 38 by means of cars 39. Both sets of saidcars 39 are on the same and inner side of the pulleys 35, so that whensaid sliding bar 38 is moved toward the forward end of the hearse itwill draw the ends of all of said arms inward, as shown in Fig. 5. Saidarms are of the same length, and consequently their inward-and-outwardmovement is always simultaneous and to the same extent. The sliding bar38 is shown here as being tubular at each end and as longitudinallyslidable on the rod 42, secured in the bracket 43 at the left-hand endof Fig. 4, and the rod 45, secured in the bracket 46 at the right handof Fig. 4; but said bar 38 may be made in any desired way and mounted inany desired manner, so as to belongitudinally reciprocable. The bier-pin18 is mounted in connection with the sliding bar 38. To provide forcoflins of different sizes. said pin is connected adjustabl y with saidbar 38. As seen in Fig. 6, said pin 18 is secured at its lower end to alongitudinally-threaded sleeve 47, extending at a right angle to thebody of said pin and small enough to fit within a slotted guideway 48,secured on top of the bar 38 at the left-hand end, as shown in Fig. 4,and the rod 50, threaded at its inner end, screws into said sleeve 47.Hence said sleeve 47 and the pin 18- and the rod 50 are independentlymovable with reference to the reci procable bar 38; but they are heldstationary with reference to said bar 38 by means of the pawl 51,mounted between two plates 52 and 53. The lower plate 53 is securedrigidly to the reciprocable bar 38, as seen in Fig. 8, and aspacing-block 54 is secured between the plates 52 and 53. The pawl 51 ismounted on the pivot 152, extending through saidplates, and said pawl iscontrolled by a spring 55, extending about said pivot 152, with one endcaught over the lower plate 53 and the other end engaging the outer endof the pawl and tending to cause the inner end of said pawl to engagethe toothed portion 56 of the rod 50, as seen in Fig. 4. Said pawl 51 isreleased by a chain 57, that extends within reach of a person. The outerend of the rod 50 has an extension 58 pivotally connected therewith,that is in reach of a person standing at the right-hand end of theconstruction, as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore when it is desired to changethe position of the bier-pin 18 the chain 57 is drawn outward to releasethe pawl 51 from engagement with the rod 50. Then the rod 50 is pushedinward, thus pushing the pin 18 inward to provide the device for alonger casket, as shown in Fig. 3. When it is desired to change it for asmaller casket, all that is neceesary to do is to pull on the end 58 ofthe rod 50, and thus draw the pin 18 in toward the middle somewhat, asshown in Fig. 2. As has been explained,when the casket is placed in thehearse and is pushed inward its inner end pushes the pin 18 inward, asshown in Fig. 4, which moves the bar 38 with it, and thus draws the arms30 inward and brings the side bier-pins 15 into close engagement withthe sides of the casket; Then the bier-pin 22 is placed by hand intightly against the outer end of the casket. In order to reinforce andmore closely hold the outer ends of the bier-pin-holding means when thebier-pins are under strain, a guide-bar 60 is secured to the under sideof the top board 10 adjacent the inner side of the curved slots throughsaid board and curved parallel with said slots and with the lip shown inFig. 9, that extends in under a lip 61 on the upper side of the outerend of the arm 30. Said lips 61 extend inwardly and ride upon theguide-strip during the oscillations of said arm and are at all timesbraced by said guidestrip, as shown in Fig. 9.

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A casket-support, bierpins mounted movable, and means actuated by thecasket while being placed on said support that moves said pins into aholding position against the casket.

2. A casket-support, bierpins mounted movable in said support, and meansconnected with said bier-pins that is actuated by the casket while beingplaced on said support for moving said bier-pins simultaneously into aholding position against the casket.

3. A casket-support with slots therein extending toward the position tobe occupied by the casket, bier-pins projecting through said slots,mechanism under said support for holding and moving said bier-pins alongsaid slots, and means projecting through said support in position to bemoved by the casket while being placed on said support for actuating themechanism below.

4. A-casket-support with slots therein extending toward the position tobe occupied by the casket, bier-pins projecting through said slots,mechanism under said support for holding and moving all of saidbier-pins simultaneously, and means extending above said support inposition to be moved by the casket while it is being placed on saidsupport for actuating the mechanism below.

5. A casketsupport having slots therein extending substantially towardthe center of the position to be occupied by the casket, bierpinsprojecting through said slots for engaging the sides of the casket whenthey are moved inwardly, mechanism under said support for holding andinwardly moving said side bier-pins, a longitudinal slot in said supportin the path of the casket to be placed thereon, and abier-pin projectingthrough said longitudinal slot and secured to said mechanism belowwhereby the side bier-pins will be moved in against the casket as theend bierpin is moved by the casket.

6. A casket-su pport having slots therein extending substantially towardthe center of the position to be occupied by the casket, bierpinsprojecting through said slots for engaging the sides of the casket whenthey are moved inwardly, mechanism under said support for holding andinwardly moving said side bier-pins, a longitudinal slot in said supportin the path of the end of the casket to be placed thereon, a bier-pinprojecting through said longitudinal slot and secured to said mechanismbelow whereby the side bier-pins will be moved in against the casket,and a bier-pin insertible in said support at the other end of thecasket.

7 A casket-support, bier-pins for engaging the sides of the casket,means for holding and moving said bier-pins against the casket, a

bier-pin adapted to be engaged by the end of the casket as it is put inplace on the casketsupport, said last-mentioned bier-pin being connectedwith said mechanism for holding and moving the other bier-pins sothat'the movement of the end bier-pin will cause the other bier-pins tobe moved'against the casket, and means for adjusting the position ofsaid end bier-pin in its connection with said mechanism whereby thedevice will hold caskets of varying sizes in a central position on saidsupport.

8. A casket-support having slots therein extending substantially towardthe center of the position to be occupied by the casket, bierpinsprojecting through said slots for engaging the sides of the casket whenthey are moved inwardly, mechanism under said support for holding andinwardly moving said side bierpins, a longitudinal slot in said supportin the path of the end of the casket to be placed thereon,an endbier-pin projecting through said longitudinal slot and secured to saidmechanism below whereby the side bier-pins will be moved in against thecasket as the end bier-pin is moved by the casket, and means foradjusting the position of said end bier-pin whereby the device will beadapted to caskets of varying sizes and they may be supported centrally.

9. A casket-support having slots therein extending substantially towardthe center of the position to be occupied by the casket, bierpinsprojecting through said slots for engaging the sides of the casket whenthey are moved inwardly, mechanism under said support for holding andmoving said side bier-pins inwardly, a longitudinal slot in said supportin the path of the casket to be placed thereon, a bier-pin projectingthrough said longitudinal slot and secured to said mechanism belowwhereby the side bier-pins will be moved in against the casket as theend bier-pin is moved by the casket, means for adjusting the position ofsaid end bier-pin whereby the device will be adapted to caskets ofvarying sizes and they may be supported centrally, a series of holes inthe end of said support opposite said longitudinal slot, and a bier-pininsertible in said holes.

10. A casket-support, arms pivoted undersaid support and.extendinglaterally, said support having slots therein above the outer ends ofsaid arms and concentric with the vertical axes of said arms, bier-pinsprojecting through said slots and secured to said arms, and means formoving said arms toward the position on said support to be occupied bysaid casket.

11. A casket-support, a pair of radial arms pivoted under said supportnear each end thereof, the arms of each pair extending in oppositedirections to each other, said support havingslots therein above theouter ends of said arms, bier-pins projecting through said slots andsecured to said arms, and means connected with the outer ends of saidarms for moving the same toward the middle of said support.

12. A casket-support, a pair of radial arms pivoted under said supportnear each end thereof, the arms of each pair extending in oppositedirections to each other, said supports having slots therein above theouter ends of said arms, bier-pins projecting through said slots andsecured to said arms, means for moving the ends of said arms toward themiddie of said support, and a spring tending to hold said arms in atransverse position.

13. A casket-support, a pair of radial arms pivoted under said supportnear each end thereof, the arms of each pair extending in oppositedirections to each other, a single means for moving the end of all armstoward the middle of said support, said support having slots thereinover the ends of said arms and concentric with the vertical axesthereof, a longitudinally-extending slot over said actuating means, andbier-pins projecting through said slots, some secured to the ends ofsaid arms and one secured to said actuating means.

M. A casket-support, arms pivoted under the same so as to extendlaterally, a spring tending to hold said arms laterally, alongitudinally-movable bar mounted in line with the axes of said arms,pulleys mounted near said bar, one pulley for each arm, a connectionfrom the end of each arm extcndin g about its corresponding pulley andsecured at the inner end to said bar at a point in advance of thepulley, said casket-support having slots in it curved concentric withthe vertical axis of each of said arms and a longitudinal slot over saidbar, and bier-pins projecting through said slots, one bier-pin securedto the end of each arm and one to said longitudinally-movable bar.

15. A casket-support having slots therein, a bottom under and spacedfrom said casketsupport, a bracket secured upon said bottom near eachend, inwardly-extending rods secured to said brackets, alongitudinally-movable bar mounted upon said rods, other bracketssecured to said bottom intermediate the first-named brackets, pulleysmounted on said. intermediate brackets, pins secured in said bottombetween said brackets, one at each end &

thereof, a pair of arms pivotally mounted at one end on each of saidpins, a spring coiled about each of said pins and engaging said arms andtending to force each pair of said arms toward the adjacent end of saidbottom, bierpins secured in the ends of said arms and projecting throughthe slots in the casket-support, a connection extending from the end ofeach arm about a pulley and secured to said longitudinally-movable barso that the movement of said bar will cause the simultaneous movementinwardly or outwardly of all of said arms, and a bier-pin secured tosaid bar projecting upward through a slot in said casket-support inposition to be engaged by the casket when it is put in place thereon.

16. A casket-support, arms pivoted under said support and extendinglaterally, said support having slots therein above the outer ends ofsaid arms and concentric with the vertical axes of said arms,bier-pinsprojecting through said slots and secured to said arms, means for movingsaid arms toward the position on said support to be occupied by saidcasket, and a reinforcing-strip secured to the under side of saidsupport in the path of movement of each of said arms that tends to holdthe outer ends of said arms in place.

' 17 A casket-support, arms pivoted under said support and extendinglaterally,.said support having slots therein above the outer ends ofsaid arms and concentric with the vertical axes of said arms, bier-pinsprojecting through said slots and secured to said arms, means for movingsaid arms toward the position on said support to be occupied by saidcasket, and guide-strips secured to the under side of said supportparallel and adjacent each of said slots, the outer end of said armsbeing each provided with a loop that loosely engages and rides upon saidguide-strip.

In witness whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature in the presenceof the witnesses herein named.

JOHN Z. MILLER. Witnesses:

WV. F. -BONHAM, N. ALLEMONG.

